“Computer Thoughts” Projected onto a Giant Dome via Neural Network

Red, white and, black fractal patterns flutter across the screen. A slide show of abstract webs and networks of connected organisms visualize artificial neuron connections and the growth and gradual sophistication of neural networks. This is Bio-Inspire, thelatest audiovisual performance from Istanbul-based creative agency and digital art house VOID.

The structures and gestures of the animated installation were inspired by artificial neural networks (ANNs), models used in cognitive science and machine learning that simulate the processes and mechanics of actual biological neural networks. The 3D dome mapping performance, screened at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado Boulder, is like an immersive exploration through the mind of a machine, with possible cues taken from the Matrix trilogy and Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Writes VOID, “Our aim is to redefine the complexity of a neural network using abstract objects and sound referring to it’s natural form.” So, does this performative installation allude to an impending hijacking of our nuclear defense systems by manmade AI that will eventually lead the world into a nuclear holocaust? See for yourself: